#tldr: vesemir's got game

[jaskiersvalley]

Miri fucks

Nonnie. My beautiful Nonnie. You are so right. Miri does fuck. I mean, have you seen the Young Vesemir card in the Gwent game (someone please teach me how to play, I am losing so bad in it every time)? All I can say is that Vesemir had game both young and old. This fic idea came about thanks to Novigrad Market on Discord, you could always come and join the fun!

Vesemir’s Bedroom and Other Mysteries

The arrival of Guxart wasn’t unexpected as such. However, everything else that came with it was a surprise. The two old Witchers had only gone into the kitchen for their reunion and nobody knew or even wanted to guess which of them had squealed like that. In a way it didn’t matter because the joy in that sound was so pure, it wiped away everything else. Three minutes later, Vesemir and Guxart re-emerged from the kitchen, smiles barely hidden.

“We ought to welcome the newest arrivals with some food,” Vesemir declared, pretending as though nothing was out of the ordinary. As if his fingers weren’t linked with Guxart’s.

“Please tell me you still know the recipe of your special sauce!” Guxart actually sighed at the thought, much to Aiden’s discomfort. He wasn’t used to seeing his mentor look so, well, lovestruck.

Even worse, Vesemir snickered. “I remember the recipe for all my special sauces. The key is to use the left hand.”

Lambert clapped hands over his ears while Eskel stared into the distance, trying desperately to erase those words from his mind. It had nothing to do with being a Witcher sadly, having heard those words clearly regardless of enhanced hearing so he couldn’t even curse his mutations for subjecting him to such things.

All too quickly everyone was settled around the table which heaved under the amount of food on offer. Without a doubt it would all disappear into hungry bellies in record time but it was still an impressive amount of food.

“So, Miri-” Guxart grinned as he piled up his plate, happy to be interrupted.

“I haven’t been called that in decades.” Vesemir looked nostalgic and soft. “It’s good to hear it again.”

Repeating himself, Guxart looked ever so please, “So, Miri, tell me, do you finally have a bedroom?”

It was a weird as fuck question and Jaskier cleared his throat before speaking. “Did you not always have a bedroom?” He turned to Geralt. “I thought this keep was so big, every witcher had a room of their own for the winter.”

“They did.” Geralt glanced to Eskel, looking for some backup. “Wasn’t Vesemir’s room destroyed in the sacking?”

There was no denying the absolutely delighted way in which Guxart leaned in to watch the conversation. “Oh was it now?” He yelped as someone pointedly kicked him under the table. It only served to fuel his mischief more. “See, the way I heard it straight from the Wolf’s mouth, he didn’t have a bedroom, didn’t need one.”

“I don’t understand,” Lambert said faintly. He didn’t want to understand because the implications were more than he could cope with.

“What Guxy means,” Vesemir announced, “was that I always had a bed somewhere in the keep. I never spent a night alone.”

“I so badly want to high five you right now.” Jaskier looked absolutely ecstatic at the revelation. “You’re my hero.”

Lambert shook his head vehemently. “Nope. You did not. You only know which room was whose because you’re old as fuck and respect the dead.”

“I respected them on my knees while they were alive.”

Guxart laughed brightly and put an arm around Vesemir’s shoulders, giving him a happy squeeze. “That you did. So, when will you show me your bedroom. Maybe it’s my turn to not have a room?”

Food was steadily disappearing as they ate, Lambert keeping his head down and trying to pretend that everything around him was just a bad dream. When Vesemir and Guxart finally stood from the table, he squeaked out one last question.

“Everyone and every bed?”

“Yes.”

A wail of despair followed Vesemir as Lambert threw himself down onto the table. “I salvaged my bed from Rennes. My father figure fucked in my bed!”

[bamf-jaskier]

What the fuck are the Trials

Since the show is based on the books and not the games, and more people are more familiar with the games that the books, I thought it might be helpful to sort of officialize the posts I’ve done about specific topics in the books. 

Here are the previous posts on Triss&Geralt as well as Coën

TLDR: So looking at this process, according to the books the way a Witcher becomes, well a Witcher looks like this:

There is the Choice which is the decision to become a Witcher made when you are a child

Eat a lot of magic mushrooms that give you the strength and ability Witchers are known for

Then the Trial of the Grasses which is a concoction of mutagenic elixirs injected into the bloodstream which mutates you into a Witcher

Then finally there are the Changes. This is a big step and one that requires a mage. This is when the hormones are changed and a Witcher becomes permanently sterile

then there is training until you earn your medallion and BOOM, out onto the path with you

Now, have a post about what the trials are as far as the books are concerned

It’s important to note that in the books, The Witcher are a dying breed so the Trials are really only mentioned in Blood of Elves when Ciri trains with the Witchers and the two prequels, Sword of Destiny and The Last Wish. 

Let’s start out with the basics of the Trials, here is a passage from Blood of Elves where Triss is wondering why the Witchers at Kaer Morhen are being so secretive in regards to Ciri:

“It’s obvious. They want to mutate the child, subject her to the Trial of Grasses and Changes, but they don’t know how to do it. Vesemir was the only witcher left from the previous generation, and he was only a fencing instructor. The Laboratorium, hidden in the vaults of Kaer Morhen, with its dusty demi-johns of elixirs, the alembics, ovens and retorts… 

None of the witchers knew how to use them. The mutagenic elixirs had been concocted by some renegade wizard in the distant past and then perfected over the years by the wizard’s successors, who had, over the years, magically controlled the process of Changes to which children were subjected. And at a vital moment the chain had snapped. 

There was no more magical knowledge or power. The witchers had the herbs and Grasses, they had the Laboratorium. They knew the recipe. But they had no wizard.”

Later:

“And now they want to mutate the girl but can’t. And that might mean… They may ask me to help. And then I’ll see something no living wizard has seen, I’ll learn something no living wizard has learned. Their famous Grasses and herbs, the secret virus cultures, the renowned, mysterious recipes…”

Now, what Triss doesn’t realize is that Geralt and the others are not planning on subjecting Ciri to the trials at all but are instead trying to hide Ciri’s magical ability from Triss. They are worried she will report them to the Chapter. 

Of course, until they tell Triss this, she is deeply suspicious and goes on to talk about the mushrooms Witchers have access to which are extremely unique. 

“Of course, thought Triss. They’re feeding her those legendary cave saprophytes – a mountain plant unknown to science – giving her the famous infusions of their mysterious herbs to drink. The girl is developing quickly, is acquiring a witcher’s infernal fitness. Naturally, without the mutation, without the risk, without the hormonal upheaval. But the magician must not know this. It is to be kept a secret from the magician. They aren’t going to tell me anything; they aren’t going to show me anything.”

Later:

“I don’t give a fig for your trust, witchers. There’s cancer out there in the world, smallpox, tetanus and leukaemia, there are allergies, there’s cot death. And you’re keeping your “mushrooms”, which could perhaps be distilled and turned into life-saving medicines, hidden away from the world. You’re keeping them a secret even from me, and others to whom you declare your friendship, respect and trust. Even I’m forbidden to see not just the Laboratorium, but even the bloody mushrooms!”

Triss as a mage has extreme bias against the Trials and for good reason! Most of the populace doesn’t have access to any information on the Trials outside of vague ideas but Mages have access to first hand accounts such as this from Blood of Elves: 

“On the third day all the children died save one, a male barely ten. Hitherto agitated by a sudden madness, he fell all at once into deep stupor. His eyes took on a glassy gaze; incessantly with his hands did he clutch at clothing, or brandish them in the air as if desirous of catching a quill. His breathing grew loud and hoarse; sweat cold, clammy and malodorous appeared on his skin. Then was he once more given elixir through the vein and the seizure it did return. This time a nose-bleed did ensue, coughing turned to vomiting, after which the male weakened entirely and became inert.

For two days more did symptoms not subside. The child’s skin, hitherto drenched in sweat, grew dry and hot, the pulse ceased to be full and firm – albeit remaining of average strength, slow rather than fast. No more did he wake, nor did he scream.

Finally, came the seventh day. The male awoke and opened his eyes, and his eyes were as those of a viper…”

~Carla Demetia Crest, The Trial of Grasses and other secret Witcher practices, seen with my own eyes, manuscript exclusively accessible to the Chapter of Wizards

When most people think of the Trials, they are thinking similarly to Queen Calanthe in Sword of Destiny. 

Here is what Calanthe says to Geralt when talking about what he might do with his child surprise: 

“You are astonished,’ she stated. ‘Well, I’ve studied a little. Since Pavetta’s child has the chance of becoming a witcher, I went to great pains. My sources, Geralt, reveal nothing, however, regarding how many children in ten withstand the Trial of the Grasses. Would you like to satisfy my curiosity in this regard?’

‘O Queen,’ Geralt said, clearing his throat. ‘You certainly went to sufficient pains in your studies to know that the code and my oath forbid me from even uttering that name, much less discussing it.’

Calanthe stopped the swing abruptly by jabbing a heel into the ground. ‘Three, at most four in ten,’ she said, nodding her head in feigned pensiveness. 

‘A stringent selection, very stringent, I’d say, and at every stage. First the Choice and then the Trials. And then the Changes. How many youngsters ultimately receive medallions and silver swords? One in ten? One in twenty?”

Later Calanthe asks Geralt:

“Do you believe a Child of Destiny would pass through the Trials without danger?’

‘We believe such a child would not require the Trials.’

‘One question, Geralt. Quite a personal one. May I?’

He nodded.

‘There is no better way to pass on hereditary traits than the natural way, as we know. You went through the Trials and survived. So if you need a child with special qualities and endurance… Why don’t you find a woman who… I’m tactless, aren’t I? But I think I’ve guessed, haven’t I?’

‘As usual,’ he said, smiling sadly, ‘you are correct in your deductions, Calanthe. You guessed right, of course. What you’re suggesting is impossible for me.’

‘Forgive me,’ she said, and the smile vanished from her face. ‘Oh, well, it’s a human thing.’

‘It isn’t human.’

‘Ah… So, no witcher can—’

‘No, none. The Trial of the Grasses, Calanthe, is dreadful. And what is done to boys during the time of the Changes is even worse. And irreversible.”

Later:

“The risks are too great,’ Geralt said quickly. ‘As you said. At most, four out of ten survive.’

‘Dammit, is only the Trial of the Grasses hazardous? Do only potential witchers take risks? Life is full of hazards, selection also occurs in life, Geralt. Misfortune, sicknesses and wars also select. Defying destiny may be just as hazardous as succumbing to it. Geralt… I would give you the child. But… I’m afraid, too.’

Then in The Last Wish, Geralt describes his own experiences with The Trials:

“Kaer Morhen…That's where the likes of me were produced. It's not done anymore; no one lives in Kaer Morhen now. No one but Vesemir. Who's Vesemir? My father. Why are you so surprised? What's so strange about it? Everyone's got a father, and mine is Vesemir. And so what if he's not my real father? I didn't know him, or my mother. I don't even know if they're still alive, and I don't much care.

“Yes, Kaer Morhen. I underwent the usual mutation there, through the Trial of Grasses, and then hormones, herbs, viral infections. And then through them all again. And again, to the bitter end. Apparently, I took the changes unusually well; I was only ill briefly. I was considered to be an exceptionally resilient brat…and was chosen for more complicated experiments as a result. They were worse. Much worse. But, as you see, I survived. The only one to live out of all those chosen for further trials. My hair's been white ever since. Total loss of pigmentation. A side effect, as they say. A trifle.

“Then they taught me various things until the day when I left Kaer Morhen and took to the road. I’d earned my medallion, the Sign of the Wolf's School. I had two swords: silver and iron, and my conviction, enthusiasm, incentive and…faith. Faith that I was needed in a world full of monsters and beasts, to protect the innocent. As I left Kaer Morhen, I dreamed of meeting my first monster. I couldn't wait to stand eye to eye with him. And the moment arrived.”

So looking at this process, according to the books the way a Witcher becomes, well a Witcher looks like this:

There is the Choice which is the decision to become a Witcher made when you are a child

Eat a lot of magic mushrooms that give you the strength and ability Witchers are known for 

Then the Trial of the Grasses which is a concoction of mutagenic elixirs injected into the bloodstream which mutates you into a Witcher 

Then finally there are the Changes. This is a big step and one that requires a mage. This is when the hormones are changed and a Witcher becomes permanently sterile

then there is training until you earn your medallion and BOOM, out onto the path with you

This is why it’s such a big deal that Triss was brought to Kaer Morhen. Without a mage, someone cannot become a full Witcher and Triss believed that was why she was there. Of course, this wasn’t true but it’s a valid concern to have. 

One thing I want to note, there is absolutely NOTHING in the text that says that being a Witcher is limited to any sort of gender boundary. The fact that Triss so readily jumped to Ciri becoming a Witcher and the fact that Geralt didn’t specify  boys until he was talking about the sterilization process...well, there is a likelihood female Witchers actually existed. 

Again, in the books Witchers are a dying breed and you can literally count on one hand the number of Witchers we meet. Of course, considering mages are the ones who made Witchers, it makes sense that female Witchers are either strongly discouraged, banned or simply not talked about. 

One big point Triss has against Ciri’s training is that she won’t “develop” correctly like a woman “should” due to the mushrooms and harsh training and considering how so many northern mages place importance on beauty I could definitely see mages not wanting to have female Witchers, considering it a “perversion”. 

Just a fun thought I often have about the books that I haven’t seen anyone point out. 

So overall, here is what the books have to say about the Trials, it’s a touch different from the games but I find this very fascinating and interesting. Let me know if you want me to do a specific topic or relationship next, but for now, thanks for reading!

[on-a-lucky-tide]

Hi, I was wondering if you had any tips about writing Lambert? I have a story idea I want to write but I'm worried about not getting his character right. I really love the way you write him.

Hi, Anon. I’ll do my best to break down some of my main thoughts on Lambert. I’d like to write a disclaimer first: everyone is entitled to their interpretations of characters. No two people read a text or consume media in the same way, so these are my personal reflections based on the evidence I’ve seen.

TW: canonical child abuse; personal headcanons based on interpretation of media you may disagree with. Spoilers for games and books.

TLDR: Lambert is a prickly asshole with a heart. That heart is loyal and wants a place to belong (a literal place, or with a person), but said heart is covered in scars and open wounds from how the world has treated it. His main defence mechanism is sarcasm. He has a complex relationship with both Vesemir and Kaer Morhen. He will step up to defend those he loves without a second thought. He shows affection by teasing/rudeness/insults; this is generally on a scale of brutal to gentle with no real logic or predictability (and he expects it back). ‘Lambert, Lambert, what a prick’ = aww, Geralt loves me. 

Lambert is a man that suffers from trauma and has never had a chance to heal from it. His prickliness isn’t unfounded.

“Along the way all the differences between Geralt and his younger comrade were exposed in sharp contrast. Sparks flew between them more than once, and biting commentary and barbed remarks were the order of the day. Geralt tolerated Lambert's prickliness with admirable stoicism, for he knew that the younger witcher's famous sarcasm served only to cover his many deeply-felt, never-healed wounds.” - Journal Entry, Witcher 3.

This was my initial framework for Lambert. Lambert was abused physically by his father and witnessed the abuse of his mother. His formative years taught him that people are cruel and not to be trusted. Just when he thought he was free - his father fell into a nest of Nekkers - he was then seized by witchers and made to suffer more. So, not only are people cruel, but life is cruel too. 

I always write him with a certain level of cynicism/pessimism. If you expect life to fuck you over, then you’ll never be disappointed when it inevitably does. - Rawr.

If you choose the right dialogue options, you learn that he returned to exact his revenge upon being released from Kaer Morhen (Geralt doesn’t ask for any details). 

There are other facets to his personality that could originate from his background: he doesn’t trust easily, he plays the class clown because it’s a way for him to feel like he belongs without showing weakness/his heart (e.g. the hat), and...

His view of the world can seem a bit ‘black and white’. He doesn’t share Geralt’s hero complex and can come across as callous. 

During ‘No Place Like Home’, the witchers discuss contracts. Lambert talks about a contract where he was hired to kill a monster that was attacking freight. It ended up being a forest troll chilling in a forest and bandits attacking the wagons. He killed the bandits and the troll (sentient and relatively intelligent). Why? He needed the coin to survive and that’s what he got hired for.

He’s also quick to resort to killing, i.e. the people involved (even if not directly) with Aiden’s murder (perhaps forgivable), and the mountain trolls on the way to the Circle of Elements (less forgivable). He clearly views being a witcher more like mercenary work than a ‘knightly’ calling with rules and morals. 

I believe his views on ‘witcher neutrality’ would be quite complex. I don’t think Lambert would have hesitated in killing Stregobor (”The sorcerer did what, Renfri? Let’s fuck him up”), but I also don’t think he would have had qualms killing the Sylvan outright. It was his contract, after all.

Just because he’s an asshole, doesn’t mean he’ll tolerate injustice/other people being dickheads. He will make sure you pay for your fuckery. He doesn't suffer fools.

I love this about Lambert. He will call people out on their bullshit and, if he can, they will be punished. I’ve pulled out my two favourite examples.

Yennefer was an asshole when she arrived at Kaer Morhen, so he messed with her telescope by planting some crates of dimeritium bombs nearby. 

[The gadget beeps like crazy near a crate stack.]

Geralt: Ahh. There you are. Disturbance is coming from there. What's in these crates?

Vesemir: Dimeritium bombs. Lambert made 'em.

Geralt: No wonder the megascope doesn't work. All right, gotta get 'em outta here.

This was confirmed by Yennefer when Geralt returned.

Geralt: You know... Lambert’s not exactly an expert on megascopes, so...

Yennefer: Please. Lambert is mean, not stupid.

He calls Triss out on her arrogance in Blood of Elves when she spends her stay treating the witchers as incompetent and belittling their meagre contributions to the world. Notably, he often calls Triss by her second name, ‘Merigold’,  an indication of his disdain.

“Me, too,” Lambert grimaced. “And it’s not surprising—it’s a popular saying of late. It’s what kings say when it turns out that a modicum of brains is necessary to rule after all. It’s what merchants say when greed and stupidity have led them to bankruptcy. It’s what wizards say when they start to lose their influence on politics or income. And the person they’re speaking to should expect some sort of proposal straight away. So cut the introduction short, Triss, and present us with your proposition.” Blood of Elves, pg. 110.

His sense of justice is swift and brutal. He, of course, seeks vengeance for Aiden’s death in ‘Follow the Thread’, which we all know intimately well. Also, notably, he punishes some bandits using Axii.

Lambert shows affection with teasing/insults, and he enjoys it when it’s returned. However, he’s also capable of more ‘traditional’ affection, and it’s genuine. He is doggedly loyal to those he loves - Aiden, Ciri, Geralt and Eskel, particularly.

The young witcher is quarrelsome and has a biting tongue, though at times he uses rudeness to express his fondness for someone. - Price of Neutrality, Premium Module.

He’s a sarcastic guy. He’s also rude and abrasive, but he treats everyone equally. I like his relationship with Ciri the most (although I’ve seen a lot of people interpret this less generously), but I think @childoffantasy summarised my thoughts more concisely than I: he’s the fun uncle that will be a bit of a dick, tease you, but actually talk to you, not just awkwardly ask you how school is and shuffle off. He genuinely cares for Ciri (he's the one who corrects her table manners, tries to tell Triss that she’s just another orphan of war and thus not of interest to the Chapter).

“You’re a girl. Girls don’t have brains.”

“Lambert! If Triss heard that!”

“If ifs and ands were pots and pans. All right, that’s enough. Come down. We’ll take a break.”

“I’m not tired!”

“But I am. I said, a break. Come down from the comb.”

“Turning a somersault?”

“What do you think? Like a hen off its roost? Go on, jump. Don’t be afraid, I’m here for you.”

“Haaaa!”

“Nice. Very good - for a girl. You can take off the blindfold now.”

He stepped up to fight for Ciri against the Wild Hunt without question (expecting to die; we see him brewing his ‘farewell feast’ before we head off to the Circle of Elements).

While drinking with Geralt, Lambert calls him a blowhard but tells him he’d go to hell and back for him. He means it.

Other fun things:

I love the headcanon that Lambert likes to dress up, and he finds it hot when others do too.

He is intelligent. Like, really intelligent (enough to earn Yennefer’s respect). I always have him as good with the more scientific part of being a witcher; bombs, alchemy. It’s fun to think that he improved some of the decoction and potion formulae. 

Linked to the above, Lambert has to survive as a witcher through his wits and skill. He’s not twice-grassed like Geralt, or gifted with Signs like Eskel. He is competent, hardworking, cunning and intelligent. With thanks to @cassandrasartworld.

He likes animals, but he has issues with getting attached to things because nothing’s permanent and life is cruel.

He uses bombs to fish, because he’s just so feckin’ extra.

Common Pitfalls:

[Disclaimer: these are things I dislike seeing/have done in the past and developed beyond, but I must reiterate - write characters how you want/view them; it is your story].

Writing him as just an asshole. This doesn’t really show appreciation for the reasons why Lambert is the way he is nor the nuance behind the way he interacts with different people.

Too much swearing. I’m guilty of this, and sometimes it’s fun to write! But don’t lose his intelligence amongst the ‘fucks’. He is a clever fucking bloke, alright?

Twink No. 2. At the moment, I see him filling the gap for Jaskier in some stories and encounters, which is disappointing. Always ask: can I replace this character with someone else and would the interaction be the same? If the answer’s yes, then review the scene.

It’s nice to soften characters right up, but sometimes it’s more challenging/rewarding if the character isn’t soft. If he makes a shit decision, or he’s a bit abhorrent. Soft!Bert is really nice, but morally dubious Bert is also very fun. 

I hope this has been helpful. It’s by no means exhaustive, but these are the things I’ve hashed out as I’ve developed my understanding of the character. There are some great Lambert writers out there, and I have to thank the Cake Shop and all attached personages for helping me grow as a writer. I’m always looking to ‘write characters better’, so you’ll probably see my characterisation continue to change and evolve.

Also, it’s okay for Lambert to ‘grow as a person’ in your story. If you’re going to write something where the lad can do a bit of healing? Of course he’s going to be subtly different.

Good luck, Anon! Please feel free to tag me when you’re done. 

An addition: this thread contains lots of amazing thoughts from a huge variety of writers. It’s well worth looking through all the reblogs and comments.

[bablih]

Spending 250k PHP On An Online Character

TLDR: I had an extra quarter million laying around. I wanted to have fun, so as usual, I spent it on gaming. Armed with my 250k ($5,000 USD), I was confident yet also curious on how I’d fare from today’s online gaming compared to the 2003-2012 era. I thought 250k nowadays will get you to the absolute utmost top, as compared to the 50k to 100k of yesteryears. I stopped spending at 220k since I felt “my experiment” had already concluded. When you spend 250k, someone in Asia (our regional server) will spend 300k. That 300k will be surpassed by 400k. 400k will be beat by 500k. 500k will be eclipsed by 1M. There’s no point in continuing an endless spending spree when you already know the outcome. So now I have 30k more to spend on junkies. I’m a simple girl. Toblerone? Hershey’s Kisses anyone? =)

—

5 years ago I spent 105k PHP ($2,100 USD) on a game called Fantasy Chronicles, I got up to VIP 9 (read more about my FC adventures here). This time I spent double the amount, now 220k ($4,400 USD) for a game called Cloud Song.

So what did I get from my 220k character?

Class: Oracle - Judge Character BR: 1,673,304 (as of December 16, 2021 - the day I quit) Rank: Savior II

Total diamonds bought: 391,360 (2,200 PHP per 3,600 dias / 500 PHP per 720 dias / 50 PHP per 60 dias)

Pets BR - 556,584

12-star Angel

Fairy Dragon [Awaken I] linked with 12-star Pyrodragon

11-star Flamewielder

11-star Gale

10-star Diamond Dragon (with Dark Knight skin)

10-star Cyclone

10-star Sweet Fur

9-star Elemental Fox

(sorry, the screenshots were outdated - taken 4 days before I quit, and I already deleted the app, too lazy to install it again just for screenshots)

(See all pets acquired here)

Mount BR - 197,168

Phantom Wolf (Ultimate VII, level 157; Rank 2, 3-star ascend)

Gryphon

Rainbow

Runes: BR - 298,964

King Arthur +17

Fancy Dracula +17

Fancy Elf Prince +17

2 x Snow Princess +15

2 x Vesemir +15

2 x Alice +15

2 x Serius +15

2 x Carl +15

Storm Lord +15

Ari +15

Dark Mina +15

9 pcs Valkyrie Seal

Rune Sets:

2-star Assault

2-star Demonhunt

2-star Ocean

3-star Swiftness

Artifacts BR - 153,624

Holy Angel: fully upgraded to red

Bright Galaxy: upgraded all 4 runestones to orange

Fairy Wings: upgraded all 5 runestones to purple

Gear BR - 155,685

Enhance • Solar King’s Scepter +31

Hunter • Icedeep Book +30

Thunder • Solar King’s Helmet +30

Thunder • Solar King’s Suit +31

Valor • Icedeep Necklace +29

Valor • Solar King’s Boot +29

Scarlet Lord Cloak I

Gear Enhancement: 8th rank

Outfits: (premium) -- see all costumes acquired here

Surfer Cloth

Pink Love Set

Schooltime accessory

Sea Sprite accessory

Level & Skills BR - 116,297

Enhancement BR - 103,529

Guild Skill BR - 36,684

Other BR - 47,464

Titles (orange):

Dominant

Martial Expert

Demonhunter

Ward Breaker

Above the Clouds

Pet Expert

I used to play as a White Sage Oracle (full support healer/buffer), then I switched to a Judge Oracle - I still have 2 healing skills, but the job is more focused on attacking. With this change, I got to love PVP more, and my character was very versatile - I can be both the damage dealer and the healer which got me the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6-Star First Kill Badges on Beast Invasion pioneer kills. Look, there are only 4 slots to equip your skills, and even when using 2 slots for healing, I still get higher damage compared to most damage dealer classes. Most of the time me & my husband would laugh so hard - we can tell the character we have is overpowered - and is somewhat an insult to the server’s population. LOL! A healer/support class always having top damage XD haha! 99% of the time, I’m top #1 damage on Beast Rampage - it sure is your lucky day to have me in your party - the team which will certainly rank #1 in damage. I also ranked top #1 on Oracle Battle Rank until the day I quit.

See my character in action in a team setting (with Hitori, มู๋ฝน, Whizkas, and RoyalCanin) clearing the pioneer 4th floor of Nightmare Tower. I played as the support healer and damage dealer at the same time:

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And here’s a video of my character in practice duel with our guild leader Trà Vải (a Rogue Shadowdancer character):

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What I like about the game?

The cute characters. Like Grand Chase & FlyFF, I find them very cute~

Cute costumes - just prepare to spend a lot if you wish to get those nice costumes. I remember spending around 30k+ PHP just to get a fashion accessory.

The PVP events. I’m really not into PVP, I’m more of a PVE gamer, slaying monsters here & there, hunting giants and bosses left & right. During my first PVP encounter in Cloud Song, I got really scared my hands were literally shaking - it's been 5 long years since I did PVP, and that was with Fantasy Chronicles where I played a full-on damage dealer class (I was also top #1 Mage in that game BTW), but later on I got used to the feeling like how I did in FC - though my fingers still trembled during hard battles, and when facing unknown opponents during cross-server PVP events. When I played Fantasy Chronicles, I felt like a big bully - my husband loved my Mage so much that he’d use it to kill other players, the irony was - he was playing as an Assassin, but uses my Mage to assassinate. Haha! Non-guildmates (reds) would then avoid me like plague, and would beg me on world chat, or send PMs not to kill them which made me ask what the hell was going on! I didn’t know that time my husband secretly uses my Mage to slaughter them all! Same goes with my POW-type Shaman build in RAN Online, my husband uses it a lot to duel with other players-cancelling all their skills, and then overpowering them. Someone in Cloud Song even remembered me bullying them in RAN Online’s Shibuya map - LOL! That wasn’t me! But the game that got me really pumped-up for PVP is the game AirRivals EU - it was so fun, chasing (flying), and killing others with my tanky healer/buffer M-Gear. Okay back to topic. So why do I love doing PVP with my Judge Oracle? I’m just one heal away, and my HP is back to full. My opponent’s HP is already at 50%, sometimes they’re already dead, but my HP is still at 100%. LOL!

You can auto - well, both good and bad. It's good when I’m busy IRL, I can just leave it. The bad about auto is-the game is playing for you, and not you playing the game. If you rely on auto too much, you won’t get used to how your character’s skills work, the timing, the tactics & the technique. So, if you’re dependent on auto - when it comes to PVP that doesn’t allow it, you’ll suck big time, and will die in no time!

The translation function - it’s a good thing to put on a translation function for other languages, but there’s a lot of errors with the actual translation that you’ll either get laughs & giggles reading them, or a headache!

Free skill reset - this is a big plus to the game, unlike other games where you need to buy an item to reset your skills.

99% lag-free - I currently live in our home resort up in the mountains, obviously there are no landlines here so I’m only using a 4G wireless modem, and the game’s latency is excellent.

(this screenshot was taken during one of our GWs, during the last round [hero war] - shoutout to Lupical guild! Miss you guys!)

What I hate about the game?

Extremely pay to win, my husband calls it “pay or quit” - if you have no money, you can never compete with those who spend money on this game. You’ll just drool.

No grinding - character max levels are set on a specific date, you just do your daily quests, and you’ll level up. There’s a level limit! Unlike other games where you can power grind (which I dearly miss).

No stats - unlike traditional MMORPGs where you gain stat points when you level up, or via quests - you build your character with those stats so every character is unique based on their stats & skill build, but in Cloud Song every character is the same, just differs on skills, the items, and equipment stats you have (advantageous to whales only).

Daily scheduled events are crazy - I personally hate schedules. I wanna do things when I feel like doing them just like my job - no pressure and free, but with this game, you are forced to wake up just to attend the events. I usually sleep during daytime, and the events start from daytime to nighttime. I felt like a prisoner of this game after playing it for a long time.

No trading - the absence of the trading feature sucks big time!

No boss hunt - the game doesn't have bosses to hunt, a game feature that I really love - me and my husband are insatiable hunters - and any game we play, we always prioritize boss hunting. It’s like the icing on the cake.

Low drop rate - no matter how many points you point on luck, you’ll never be lucky enough! Luck is a big scam in this game. I maxed out luck life skill (these are not stats like POW/STR, DEX/AGI, INT/WIS, VIT/HP), and I even got 6 badges for pioneer kills on beast invasion which gives +1 luck for each badge, but it’s never deemed useful.

The silent rule of not killing players of the same guild - so sometimes, I end up not killing anyone during league qualifiers. On the Arena, before the server merge, it’s so hard to pick opponents since most, if not all, are my friends, or guildmates.

In the final week that I played (I think this was the other reason why I quit) - I’m on server 31 (s31), and for months our usual cross-server opponents are servers 32 & 33 (s32 & s33). Without notice they were suddenly removed, and were replaced with servers 35 & 40 (s35 & s40). Now, one thing that’s important to me in this game is the Honor Tower - that’s the PVP event wherein the winning team’s party leader gets a statue of their own likeness right in the middle of the town for 1 week, and getting a team for Honor Tower only allows players from your server, or from the opposing cross-server players. Do I know anyone from s35? No. Do I know anyone from s40? No. It's a burden to find new strong teammates for Honor Tower, but once more, just a week later, without notice they again removed servers 35 & 40 (s35 & s40), merged us with server 22 (s22), and our cross-server opponent was unexpectedly server 1 (s1) (yes, you read it right, server ONE) for Titan Island, League, Honor Tower - SO UNFAIR! Server 1 already existed 3 or 4 weeks before we started on our server (s31), so you can just imagine how far ahead they are in the game already. Even if you miss 1 or 2 days in the game, you’ll be way far behind. Imagine being behind for weeks!

Never-ending release of new stuff that makes your character stronger, but costs way too much. If you don’t buy it, you can’t keep up. With my budget of only 250k PHP ($5,000 USD), I know where this is heading so I stopped spending at 220k PHP even though I still have more to spare.

(League Qualifiers Round - 4 of us from the same guild, the other one on the left side is from another server - we spared his life!)

Traveling way back to our mid-20’s, that was around 2003 to 2012 - the golden age of online gaming (the age of RAN Online & FlyFF) - when you spend around 60,000 to 100,000 PHP ($1,200 to $2,000 USD) you'll be at the utmost top of the game - where you can truly experience the game. You can just then go run amok, and bully others in PK channel.

After experiencing so many new MMORPG app games (Android & iOS), I can’t help but miss the old games, the power grind, the sleepless nights - that’s the real old gaming experience - with a really massive community; open world and free - like another world of its own. If only we have these kinds of games again, I would surely be the first one to play.

As for my character, I wanted to sell it, but I changed my mind. Just like the countless & untold online characters me & my husband played - they’re dormant to no end. Left in the space of nothingness - their memories surface every now & then.